Wither Santorum? Romney now poised for big primary wins on Tuesday

Will Rahn

Mitt Romney is now poised to win both the Arizona and Michigan primaries on Tuesday after several weeks of losses and lagging poll numbers.

A Public Policy Polling survey released Sunday shows the former Massachusetts Governor leading Rick Santorum in Michigan, while another released Monday shows Romney clobbering the competition in Arizona.

The Michigan primary would be a particularly sweet win for Romney given his personal ties to the state. He was born in Detroit, and his father George Romney governed the state for much of the 1960s. But despite that connection, Santorum had been leading Romney in Michigan for most of February by as much as double digits.

Romney now leads Santorum in Michigan 39 percent to 37 percent, a dramatic reversal from earlier this month when PPP found the former Pennsylvania Senator leading by double digits. Additionally, New York Times polling guru Nate Silver gives Romney a 77 percent chance of winning the state.

In Arizona, meanwhile, Romney is appears to be on the verge of a landslide win according to PPP. He currently leads the field with 43 percent support, against 26 percent for Santorum, 18 percent for Newt Gingrich and 11 percent for Ron Paul.

Wins in Michigan and Arizona could give Romney significant momentum as the race hits the delegate-rich “Super Tuesday” contests on March 6th. But even if Romney can wrap up the nomination before the convention in August, he still faces an uphill battle in the general election.

A new George Washington University poll shows President Obama’s approval rating at 53 percent, a nine-point increase from four months ago. The poll also finds Obama leading Romney by 10 points, and Santorum by 11.